Director of Development

Description

The Center for Family Representation Inc. (CFR) is an award-winning, innovative law and policy organization that serves primarily Black and Brown families and youth in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island with an interdisciplinary legal defense model that serves more than 2400 clients every year. CFR was originally founded in 2002 to dramatically change the trajectory of indigent parents being prosecuted by the City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). Our goal is to defend and protect our clients’ rights, reduce the harm of family separation and prevent or minimize the time any child spends in the foster system.

CFR provides interdisciplinary family defense with a model that was unique at our founding and that is now being replicated nationally: we assign every client an attorney and a social work staff member, and teams have the support of parent advocates, who are parents with direct personal experience of having been investigated and prosecuted by ACS. CFR was the first agency in the country to integrate parents with lived experience into legal teams and now has 8 parent advocates working in all four of our family defense locations. CFR’s Early Defense Practice represents parents during an ACS investigation (to avoid court involvement where possible). Our SCR Practice assists parents in clearing their names from state maltreatment records.

As an agency committed to securing justice for families, we built the Youth Defense practice (YDP) to defend youth at risk of family separation through incarceration. YDP uses the same interdisciplinary model to represent youth being prosecuted in Queens and Manhattan in Supreme Court Youth Parts, during Probation Adjustment and in Delinquency proceedings in Family Court. CFR’s Home for Good program provides legal and social work services to CFR clients in immigration, civil legal services and criminal defense matters, to afford clients an efficient and well-coordinated one-stop solution to a range of issues that threaten family stability. 

Recognized as experts in our fields, we annually train over 500 practitioners in the city, state and around the country on strategies to promote family preservation and interdisciplinary representation, and we provide community based “Know Your Rights” presentations to parents, youth and service providers. We advocate at the city, state and national level for policies that reduce the harm of family separation, and promote parent engagement and justice for youth and families.

Current opening: 

The Director of Development (DOD) is a front-line fundraiser with expertise in building and stewarding partnerships. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the DOD oversees all fundraising initiatives and programs including but not limited to institutional giving, individual giving, a Board give/get program and all fundraising events. 

The DOD is responsible for developing effective partnerships, collaborations and strategic alliances with individuals, corporations, foundations, Board members, government and community leaders and other sources of funds and services. The DOD supports CFR’s annual operations through private philanthropic donors. The DOD supports CFR’s fiscal growth and expansion, ensuring stability over the long-term as well as planning and implementing strategies to secure new donors and steward existing donors and contributions in support of the organization. 

Responsibilities would include but are not limited to: 

 All activities associated with strategic fundraising and development:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive advancement strategy that aligns with the organization’s mission, vision, and long-term objectives;
• Work with the Development team to plan and implement a robust annual plan to meet the organization’s annual operating needs;
• Plan and execute individual donor appeals including but not limited to direct mail, online/crowdfunding, social media campaigns and third party and special events and campaigns;
• Oversee the planning and execution of an annual Benefit and smaller cultivation events and fundraisers. 

All donor relationship and stewardship planning and execution:

• Lead the Development team to cultivate and maintain ongoing relationships with key donors, ensuring timely communication, recognition, and appreciation of their contributions;
• Steward a personal portfolio of donors, providing opportunities for some to engage meaningfully with CFR and to make their best, highest support to the organization;
• Develop and oversee donor recognition programs and events that celebrate and acknowledge donor generosity;
• Implement a personalized stewardship approach for donors, including tailored updates and engagement opportunities. 

Oversee the Development team and its functions:

• Ensure the Institutional Grant Manager (IGM) is in compliance with grant requirements and oversee reporting obligations to funders;
• Monitor and analyze fundraising performance metrics, providing regular reports and insights to leadership and the Board to inform strategic decisions;
• Implement best practices for data management and donor relations to enhance the organization’s overall effectiveness. 

Collaboration with Leadership:

• Work closely with the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors to align Development goals with organizational priorities and initiatives; 
• Work with the Board of Directors to ensure they have individual plans for annual fundraising (Give/Get), support their fundraising efforts and maintain regular communication to provide updates to reach the set goals; 
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications, Supervisor for Policy and Government Affairs, Program Directors and Managing Directors to ensure a cohesive approach to organizational goals and messaging;
• Provide regular updates to the Board regarding fundraising progress, strategic initiatives, and community engagement efforts. 

Location:  CFR has a generous telecommuting policy that allows staff the flexibility to work from home when there are no in-person client or organizational obligations. Directors should expect to be in person frequently.  

Travel:  Travel to conferences and work events may also be required.

Salary: $125,000-$140,000

Qualifications

• 9-14 years of direct fundraising experience. 
• At least 3 years of management experience. 
• BSc/BA degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience raising funds and examples of positive outcomes.
• Experience managing and tracking donor contributions and organizing gathered data.
• Excellent working knowledge Microsoft Suite and Google Workspace.
• Working knowledge of a CRM platform; Giftworks a plus.

Ideal Candidates will also have:  

• Exceptional verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Experience working in a non-profit social justice organization
• Ability to work well in a diverse group.
• Experience measuring data and outcomes of events to determine marketing effectiveness.
• Positive and collaborative attitude when managing groups and overseeing initiatives. 

APPLY

Candidates should submit their application through CFR’s Career Portal.

CFR strives to create an inclusive and antiracist environment for all of its staff. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. CFR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.